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spitfirebill
spitfirebill UberDork
5/23/13 1:29 p.m.

We once had a mail man refuse to deliver our mail because we had VD. I went in the complain to the post master and he pulled up the file. Yup, we had vicious dog (VD). This was Brittany Spaniel puppy that was teh friendliest thing you ever saw. I caught the mail man hitting him with a skinny bamboo cane once. No wonder the dog didn't like him.

The amazing thing is years later we were cleaning out my father's stuff and came across a picture of my father and mother sitting around a table with several other people. The picture was taken when dad was in college (the same school were at with the dog) and the people were all folks involved with the college's baseball team in some way or other. The SOB mail man was one of those people sitting around the table with my parents.

chandlerGTi
chandlerGTi Dork
5/23/13 1:53 p.m.

Usps tracking is the biggest joke imaginable. I sent a Hot Wheels car to Moberly Missouri; not that far really from where I am. Paid extra for "delivery confirmation" and then proceeded to track it over the next month to Puerto Rico, Houston, L.A., Utica ny; and finally Chillicothe Missouri where it disappeared for a week before being out for delivery in moberly. I think a lot of money is wasted in this way and there seems to not be a mechanism to stop it.

spitfirebill
spitfirebill UberDork
5/23/13 3:16 p.m.

My wife once mailed a $2 digital clock made like a soccer ball to a former fellow teacher who was also the soccer coach. He got a neatly re-taped and empty box. Really, steal a $2 clock?

Zomby Woof
Zomby Woof UberDork
5/23/13 3:32 p.m.
Keith Tanner wrote: USPS and the others don't decide what duty is assessed. That depends on the parts you're ordering - used vs new, NAFTA vs not. Heck, it's Canada Post that you're talking about, USPS just throws it over the wall at the border. And yes, they can be a little more lax about collecting duty/GST/PST/HST than the private companies at times. If you want to avoid many of the UPS fees, then there are a couple of easy things you can do. Set up pre-payment, this avoids the disbursment and COD fees and also makes it easier to get your parts. Ship via a faster method than Ground, as that will cover the document charges. From http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html

Well, actually... it's Canada customs that decides what fee will be assessed, and only about 10% of packages are assessed any fees. If there is any assessment, it's typically only taxes, and the $9.95 handling fee. There is almost never duty assessed, and packages who's value do not exceed $20 receive no assessment, same as UPS.

You can ship UPS via a faster method, but you don't avoid paying fees. They just roll it into the price. The shipping itself is also more expensive, and there is no money saved. On some things, it can be worthwhile to ship UPS. One of my suppliers ships either UPS or USPS. Because USPS has become so expensive in the last few years, I have him ship UPS air. It cost a little more, but not much, and I have it in 2 days, priced all in. The only good deal these days is if you order from Summit. They've set up a deal with Fedex, and the shipping, and customs clearance charges are very reasonable.

Now, as for the mail delivery, I'm not a big fan of home delivery. While I still think Canada post is relevant, and they are a money making enterprise, I would have no problem picking up my mail once a week at the post office. It wouldn't be difficult to notifiy me via email when i have mail (or a package - which I have to pick up there anyway), and save a pile of money for me, and the post office if done that way.

I feel the same way about garbage collection. Want to reduce the amount of garbage people throw out? Don't charge by the bag (I hear some places do that), have a few dumpsters in your area where you can take your garbage and dump it. Empty it at night, instead of paying two guys in a truck $25 per hour to pick it up. End of rant

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
5/23/13 3:52 p.m.
Keith Tanner wrote: Time and money are the same thing, you spend one or the other.

for a quick proof that this statement is false, try just hanging out with a hooker when you're done.

poopshovel
poopshovel MegaDork
5/23/13 4:00 p.m.
Datsun1500 wrote: If you read the article they want the development to have a central mailbox instead of going door to door. Thats reasonable to me. The neighborhood can't decide where to put one. It seems like an easy solution to me. Someone say " put it here"

+1. I don't have a problem with that. In any neighborhood...assuming it gets them efficient enough that they don't need to burden the tax payers with a $100,000,000 bill annually. They're pulling in $45 Billion a year for berkeley's sake.

Zomby Woof
Zomby Woof UberDork
5/23/13 4:10 p.m.
AngryCorvair wrote:
Keith Tanner wrote: Time and money are the same thing, you spend one or the other.
for a quick proof that this statement is false, try just hanging out with a hooker when you're done.

Or consider what it's cost you over the years to read AC's posts. You'll then realize that even you don't believe that.

914Driver
914Driver MegaDork
5/23/13 5:04 p.m.
AngryCorvair wrote:
Keith Tanner wrote: Time and money are the same thing, you spend one or the other.
for a quick proof that this statement is false, try just hanging out with a hooker when you're done.

Bueller? Bueller?

I won't ask.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
5/23/13 7:25 p.m.

I'm on the side of USPS being miserable. Yesterday for example. They knock on the door to deliver the replacement parts for my phone. My wife in the kitchen two feet away from the door responds to the first knock walking to the door. By the time she opened it the mailman was already walking away (in a matter of 10 seconds) and almost refused to hand us the package and gave her attitude about it. I have a feeling that package may have disappeared if we didn't convince him to hand it over (required a signature).

We have a central mail box system in our complex. We constantly get mail just shoved into the box and it becomes destroyed. Instead of placing it in there nicely the mail man takes his time to punch it in there and tear pages out of the magazines or larger pieces of mail. We've made complaints but nothing has happened.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
5/23/13 9:30 p.m.

wow... you guys make me really happy to have Jim, my mailman. We are talking about a guy who will ring the bell a couple of times, and was happy to hand over a package when I chased him down the street in my car.

Wally
Wally GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
5/23/13 10:59 p.m.
spitfirebill wrote: We once had a mail man refuse to deliver our mail because we had VD. I went in the complain to the post master and he pulled up the file. Yup, we had vicious dog (VD).

For a minute I was wondering if that's why I hadn't received a new issue of Nugget in a while. Everyplace here has there box at the curb. I've got no complaints about my mailman. The rotation cast of idiots in the purple truck on the other hand leave a bit to be desired. They could have at least slowed the truck down while they threw my wife's insulin pump into the azaleas.

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic Dork
5/24/13 3:32 a.m.

I have never had a problem with the USPS, UPS, or FedEX. Could it be that I'm on a rural route and they understand the answer to problems is often shotgun out here?

spitfirebill
spitfirebill UberDork
5/24/13 7:14 a.m.

Wally

Is Nugget even published anymore?

wbjones
wbjones PowerDork
5/24/13 8:18 a.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: I have never had a problem with the USPS, UPS, or FedEX. Could it be that I'm on a rural route and they understand the answer to problems is often shotgun out here?

same here ... no problems with the delivery people for any of the 3 ... I have sheltered area where UPS/FedEX will leave packages .. USPS will do so when needed also .... guess we're just lucky with the people working in the area (even the counter people at the post office are nice and courteous)

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